 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Hank
Date: 2002-10-20 14:59
Hi Everyone,
Over the past few months, I have seen references to the size and makeup of the clarinet section in several community bands and a few comments by DD on the total size of two of the units he belongs to. However, I have never seen much discussion with respect to the size and instrumentation of different community bands throughout the country or internationally.
For the band I play clarinet with, the Maumee Community Band (MCB) in Ohio, membership ranges from 55 to 70 on any given Tuesday evening rehearsal or concert throughout the year. We have approximately:
8-10 flutes & piccolos
10-12 trumpet/cornets
6-7 trombones
3-4 baritones
3 tubas
5 percussion
5 horns
12 -14 Bb soprano clarinets and an Eb, 1 Eb alto clarinet, 3 bass clarinets that include contras
2 oboes
2-3 bassoons
1 string bass
5 alto, 3 tenor, and 1 baritone saxes
1 harp (on call)
As a former HS and university band director, I think the balance is pretty good considering that it is an all-volunteer group. There are just a few really bravura players scattered though out the sections. The band reads very, very well and the overall musicianship compares to a typical second concert band at a large university. We play too much contemporary band literature and not enough of the classic band warhorses or show tune collections (I guess that’s what you get with a young director)
So, how does the composition and focus of the MCB compare with other community bands?
Hank
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-10-20 15:11
The Junior College Community Band I play in has about the same lineup you mention...but no harp,not as many flutes and more horns. I smiled at your comment about warhorses since it is one of my favorite subjects. However, we play a pretty good mix all things considered and we have more than a few excellent musicians. Why don't we hear more of "Morning,Noon and Night in Vienna", Poet and Peasant", Stradella Overture...and more whose names I cannot recall just now. Which leads to another favorite subject which perhaps should be a separate post....the names of all the warhorses excerpts of which used to be played during the radio Lone Ranger program. Excuse me for rambling...
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Author: Hank
Date: 2002-10-20 15:25
Hi Bob,
I'm glad there are others who apprecaite the warhorses. Include Light Cavalry as well, right. Then there are terrific broadway shows like Carousel, West Side Story, King & I, Oklahoma, etc.
Perhaps you might start a separate post on the subject?????
Hank
PS I guess I'm dating myself
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Author: Dan Oberlin
Date: 2002-10-20 17:18
The instrumentation in the Tallahassee Winds:
1 piccolo
13 flutes
5 oboes
3 bassoons
1 e flat clarinet
22 b flat clarinets
2 bass clarinets
4 alto saxes
2 tenor saxes
1 baritone sax
14 trumpets
8 horns
7 trombones
7 euphoniums
6 tubas
5 percussion
1 keyboard
The overall quality of the players is high. With the exception of
the principal player, the first ten or so of the clarinets were
clarinet majors or principals (the second chair has a performance masters from Indiana). The principal tuba played with Larry Combs
in a service band years ago! Our conductor, Bentley Shellahamer,
is Associate Dean at the FSU School of Music and picks out programs
of fairly challenging music with a "warhorse" on each program.
Dan Oberlin
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-10-20 19:23
WOW, what a band, Dan, and who is the principal cl'ist?? Our Tulsa Band is pictured at http://groups.msn.com/TulsaCommunityBand, augmented by a few re-retired players. We dont keep the site at all current, tho. We have usually about 15 cl's, Eb as needed, me on bass/alto, 3-4 dbl reeds, 6-8 flutes [3 pics for S&SF], 6-8 saxes, all 4 as needed, 10+ tpts/cornets, 2 baritone/eph., up to 7! F H's, up to 5 basses, inc. string, 4-6 percussion inc. keyboard, and some 6 "spousal" workers for setups and trailer-loading, with usual elected/appointed "corporate" structure [new Pres. Bill Goswick]. We play lots of contemps., musicals and class. {Khach, Wagner, Muss., Bizet], now into Chr. music. Love it ! Don
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Author: Willie
Date: 2002-10-21 04:01
We play in two different bands down her that are small (about 25-30 members Each), but lots of fun. Our biggest problem down here in both bands is getting enough clarinets, euphoniums and tubas. Seems the same for some of the other bands in the area too.
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Author: William Hughes
Date: 2002-10-21 05:49
The Alexandria (IN) Community Band:
4 flute (inc. piccolo)
4 alto sax
1 tenor sax
1 bari sax
7 Bb clarinet
1 Eb clarinet
1 bass clarinet
1 contra alto clarinet (ME!)
6 trumpet
4 french horn
3 trombone
2 euphonium
2 tuba
1 guitar
3 percussion
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-10-21 06:29
Don - wow, that's a cool picture of your band, did you focus on the "old geezers" section of the band for any reason in particular?
(ducks for cover)
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Author: beth
Date: 2002-10-21 12:44
The Accomac Community Band (Accomac VA) ranges in age from 12 y.o to a very spry 81 y.o tuba player. Our rank and file varies during football and baseball/softball seasons. Here's a rough break-down of the "core" group:
3-6 flutes (inc. piccolo)
1 oboe
3-6 clarinets
1 bass clarinet (me!)
2 french horns
2-4 alto sax
2-3 tenor sax
2-4 trombones
3 tubas
2 bari treble
2 percussion
6-10 trumpets
We may be small, but we have alot of fun. We play abit of everything; our most challenging to date (which we haven't gone public with yet) is Gounod's Faust Ballet Music, Chappell's Army Journal ed. and Dvorak's Finale from The New World Symphony, transcribed by Erik Leidzen.
Here's our home page, if you want to catch a typical small town band in action: http://www.carfaxabbey.net/communityband/
beth
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Author: William
Date: 2002-10-21 14:44
Madison Wind Ensemble Clarinets
Eb--1
Bb--5 (1st-1; 2nd-2; 3d--2)
Bass--1 (me)
Total Ensemble--32
Rehearsals--1st Sunday of each month.
Madison Municipal Band Clarinets
Eb--1
Bb--13 approx. (1st-3; 2nd--5; 3d--5) varies from night to night.
Bass--1 (not me)
Total Ensemble--55 to 75 (depending on the weather)
Rehearsals--Every Thursday evening except Holidays & conventions.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-10-21 14:55
TKS, Diz, right you are!, our average age must be up in the 60's, our youngers are a few students and quite a number of local band directors [improving our sounds!]. Happily only my back and quite-bald knob appears in a party pic, but am far right in the full band pic. Yes, Dan, I do know who your 1st ch. cl is! Director Dwight Dailey appears in several pics, tall, white-hair, w: alto sax in one, prob. rehearsing "Take Five" then. Great bunch! Don
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Author: Meri
Date: 2002-10-21 19:52
The Scarborough Community Band:
1-2 piccolos (doubling on flute)
8-10 flutes
1 oboist
4-8 clarinets
1-2 bassoonists
4-6 saxophonists (up to 3 altos (usually 2), up to 2 tenors (usually 1), 1 bari)
3-5 trumpets
2-4 trombones
0 horns
1-2 tubas
1-2 percussionists (on call)
Overall, I think a nicely balanced group. The attendance of the clarinet section could stand improvement though.
Meri
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Author: Nicki
Date: 2002-10-22 00:40
www.onr.com/acwe
check out our group, we have about 55 to 75 folks.
Our group has seemed to downsized with people being unemployed right now so we have about 55:
1 picc 5-6 horns
8 flutes 8 Trumpets
9 clarinets 4 trombones
1 bass clar 1 bass trombone
2 oboes 3 euphoniums
3 bassoons 3 tubas
3 alto sax 2-3 percussion (the 3rd person is a band
1 tenor sax member filling in)
1 bari sax 1 maestro
Check out the rehearsal clips!
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-10-22 11:44
William Hughes wrote:
>
> Why do we all wear white shirts and black pants?
'Cause the purple bell bottoms and lime green shirts are in the wash?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-10-22 14:06
Our [and other's?] uniform-uniform is the "modified" version of conventional orchestral dress [B&W obliviously]. We, Tulsa, have logoed caps for out of doors, and vary sleeve length for season, happily all open-neck for comfort. Are other bands much different?? Our next gig will be march-playing for a 10 K street [foot] race, in tent, so we'll just dress comfortably-warm. Don
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Author: beth
Date: 2002-10-22 16:07
Our group, Accomack Community Band, wears kaki and navy blue. When we're on the street in warm weather, we're in kaki shorts and navy polo shirts (ya know, the ones with the button placket). In colder weather we wear kaki pants, navy sweatshirts and red windbreakers and whatever we can stuff underneath to keep warm! For casual concerts we wear kaki pants and the navy polo again. For more formal stuff, dinner dances, evening concerts etc. we wear white tops, black bottoms.
beth
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